Zeppelins over the Eastern Counties by Cliff Clover

Description

A vote was passed at the Hague Convention in 1899 prohibiting aircraft from discharging projectiles or explosives.

The first Zeppelin was being  built and was finally completed and launched on 2^nd July 1900. It was thought that if there was a war, Germany would use the Zeppelins to bomb Britain.  In 1914 those fears were realised.

Count Ferdinand Von Zeppelin was born on 8^th July 1838.  His family lived at the Castle of Girsliery on Lake Constance.  The young Count had an enquiring mind and an interest that spread to engineering, mechanics and science.  He went to Military College at Ludwigsburg and later to Tubingen University to study engineering.  In 1863 he obtained permission to go to America.  This was at the time of the Civil War however due to his rank and family’s wealth he was treated as a VIP.  He met Abraham Lincoln and was given permission to ascend in one of the army’s observation balloons.  This changed his life.  

Peppered with numerous photographs and diagrams this booklet follows the development and the history of The Zeppelins and their presence over The Eastern Counties of England during WW1.

… It was very quiet and the people on the ground did not hear the Zeppelins flying overhead.  That was why it was known as the Silent Raid.  L41, L44, L45, L46, L47, L49, L50, L52, L53, L54, L55 set off to bomb central industrialised areas of Britain; Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool and Hull.  L41 dropped high explosive bombs on Waltham, Caistor, North Carlton and Scampton before flying on to Derby but she could not find her target so dropped bombs to the West of Birmingham which fell between Netherton and Burnt Green …

The author saw his first Zeppelin in 1936 and the fascination stayed all his life.  He says ‘seventy years on, I am still fascinated with them, I can still feel the magic that I felt when I saw that first Zeppelin’.